Cardinals Focus on Miami and Stopping the Run
August 28, 2014 | Football
The University of Louisville football team went to work in full pads on Thursday in preparation for Monday's ACC opener against Miami at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
With just four days left before the first game of the 2014 season, the Cardinals are excited to finally get the season underway.
"We can't wait to get started," junior safety James Sample said after Thursday's rigorous workout in what was the hottest day of the summer. "WE are just ready to go. It's been a long camp, especially for me. I sat out last year and I just came to Louisville a month ago, so I'm ready to get the season started."
The Cardinals continue to work focus on stopping a much-improved offense then they faced last season in the bowl win over Miami, so Thursday's practice was a good first step in getting ready for the huge match-up on Monday night.
"I thought today was a good workout," defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. "The temperature was up, but I was pleased with the team's progress. I thought the guys took the field and worked. We still have some things we need to clean up."
Sample and the Cardinals are going to face a big challenge in slowing down the Hurricane offense that will feature on the nation's premier running backs in Duke Johnson, who ran for 920 yards and six scores before an injury shortened his season.
He didn't play against the Cardinals in the Russell Athletic Bowl, however, the Cardinals know he is one of the elite backs in the country.
"I think Duke is a tremendous back," Grantham said. "He is a guy who is one of the premier backs in the country. He is a guy who can make the first player miss. He can get double-digit runs and take it to the house. We have to wrap up on our tackles and our pursuit to the guy is also important to not give him the space."
While Johnson is the focal point of the Miami offense, Grantham feels that no matter whom you play, the key to playing good defense is stopping the run.
"No matter who you are playing or what you are doing, you have to stop the run," Grantham said. "We have to make sure we play team defense and set the edges of the defense. We have to make sure we are stout up front and play for four quarters."
The Cardinals will face a rookie at quarterback as Brad Kaaya makes his collegiate debut. A true freshman from West Hills, Calif., Kaaya was 23-3 as a starter and passed for 5,730 yards and 40 touchdowns during his scholastic career.
"We've got his high school film," head coach Bobby Petrino said. "We studied his high school film. He's a big guy, he makes a lot of good throws, he looks like a guy that gets the ball out of his hand quick, has a quick release. In the video that we watched, he's not like a run-around guy and he's more of a pocket passer. But he was impressive in his high school video."
Grantham has seen the talent that Kaaya displays on film, but he isn't worried about Miami, he wants to put the focus on his own defense.
"You can see his stuff on film," Grantham said. "He is a talented player. He is going to have a bright future at Miami, but we just have to worry about ourselves and play as a team because if you play as a team and communicate and everyone is on the same page, then we will be ok."
Being on the same page is definitely something that Grantham has worried about as he has taught the Cardinals a new defensive scheme. Through the first month of camp, he has been pleased with what he has seen, but it will be a different story with the Hurricanes on the other sideline.
